Infant nursing device



Dec. 18, 1956 D. J. BUDIANI INFANT NURSING DEVICE Filed Jan. 18, 1956 m\lw hfll 3 5 7 V. H z 4 9 0 I v 5 6 w Q. 8 m w 1 7 h m m3 n wha k 5 mmmmv QMW 3L INVENTQR- Deuo Buoliawi BYww/ a; Z

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,774,500 INFANT NURSING DEVICE Deno J.Budiani, Cleveland, Ohio Application January 18, 1956, Serial No.559,904

Claims. (Cl. 21511) This invention relates to infant nursing devices andmore particularly to a device in which means is provided for regulatingthe flow of liquid through the nipple.

In the device of the present invention the nipple is of the typeprovided with a base shoulder that is adapted to be clamped to the topof a bottle by means such as a clamping ring that has a screw threadedconnection to the bottle top and that has a central opening in its topthrough which the teat portion of the nipple projects.

In the device of the present invention flow of liquid through the nippleis controlled by the pressure exerted by the nipple clampingmeans on thebase shoulder of the nipple, which is collapsible under applied pressureand which controls a passage through which liquid flows from the bottleinto the nipple.

The base portion of the nipple is formed to provide a bottom closure forthe nipple and a passage for flow of liquid through the base into theteat portion of the nipple and means is provided for progressivelyrestricting the liquid passage as the base shoulder is collapsed byclamping pressure, so that the desired flow of liquid may be obtained bytightening or loosening the nipple clamping means.

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Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the nipple clamped to a bottle andthe tubular passage throughthe nipple base restricted by air'pressurecreated by collapse of the nipple shoulder under pressure applied by thenipple Fig. 5 shows a modified form ofthe nipple embodying theinvention, the nipple being shown partly in side elevation and partly invertical section;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the closure disk;

The base shoulder is provided with a top wall portion 1 that is engagedby the clamping means and a tubular elastic and collapsible peripheralwall that is interposed between the top wall and the bottle top so thatit is subjected to pressure tending to collapse it when the clampingmeans is tightened. Pressure applied to the top wall of the shoulderprogressively collapses the tubular wall and means is provided forprogressively restricting the liquid passage as the tubular wall iscollapsed. 7

Flow of liquid through the base may be controlled by the pressureapplied-to the nipple base by the clamping means in various ways. Thebase portion may be so formed that the collapsible shoulder walls serveas confining walls of a closed air chamber in which the air pres-.

sure is increased by compression of the collapsible shoulder and thepassage may have a flexible and elastic wall within the air chamber thatis acted upon by the air pressure to progressively restrict the passageas the pressure of the air is increased. The collapsible shoulder may beoperatively connected to a flow controlling valve or the collapsibletubular shoulder may itself form a part of a passage which isprogressively restricted as the wall is collapsed. v 9

Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which:

Figure 1 shows a nipple embodying the invention,

partly in elevation and partly in vertical section;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the nipple in Fig. 5clamped to a bottle and the liquid passage restricted by clampingpressure applied to the nipple shoulder;

Fig. 8 shows another modified form of nipple embodying the invention,the nipple being shown partly in side elevation and partlyv in verticalsection; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary vertical section showing the nipple of Fig. 8clamped to a bottle, the liquid passage being restricted by clampingpressure on the collapsible nipple shoulder. 1

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, the nursing device of thepresent invention includes an elastic nipple of rubber or plastic,having a teat portion 1 provided with a tip aperture Zand a base portion3 which provides a shoulder of larger diameter than the tip portion ofthe nipple which may be clamped to the top of a bottle. The shoulder ofthe base portion 3 has a top wall 4 and a flexible and elastic tubularwall 5 that is adapted to be collapsed by pressure applied to the topwall 4. A closure disk 6, which may be formed of a relatively rigidplastic, is secured within the lower end of the tubular wall 5.

The tubular wall 5 is provided with an internal shoulder 7 against whichthe closure disk 6 is positioned. The disk 6 may be secured to the topface of a rubber disk 8 that has a marginal projection 9 that underliesthe bottom edge of the tubular wall5 and that may be cemented thereto.The rubber disk 8 is provided with an annular rib 10 that is spacedinwardly from its periphery to provide a marginal shoulder forengagement with the top of a bottle 11, the rib 10 being engageable withthe interior of the bottle 11. I

In order to provide suitable means for clamping the nipple to thebottle, the bottle may be provided with an exterior screw thread 12 uponwhich an internally threaded clamping ring 13 may be screwed. The ring13 has a flat top flange 14 for engagement with the top wall 4 of thenipple shoulder, the flange 14 surrounding a central opening 15 throughwhich the teat portion 1 of the nipple exwiththebody of the nipple andthe lower end of the tube 18 may extend through a central opening in thedisks 6 and 8 and be secured to the disk 8 by a suitable cement.

As shown in Fig. 3, the tube 18 has a relatively thin wall which isflexible and elastic and the tube is transversely elongated in crosssection so that air pressure created within the hollow base can collapsethe tube, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

As shown in Fig. 2, clamping pressure applied by the flange 14 of theclamping ring and shoulder wall forces the wall 5 downwardly toward thebase 6, collapsing the tubular wall 5 and reducing the volume of the airchamber in the base portion 3. This increased air pressure collapses thetransversely flattened tube 18 to restrict the passage through whichliquid may pass from the bottle into the teat portion 1 of the nipple.By tightening or loosening the clamping ring 13, the desired flow .ofliquid may be obtained.

Nursing nipples tend to soften and become more flexible when usedrepeatedly and the openings through which the liquid is drawn tend tobecome enlarged. In the device of the present invention, however, thepressure applied by the clamping ring can be regulated to provide thedesired flow even after the nipple has become softened by long use.

In Figs. 5 to 7 of the drawings a modified form of nipple is shown whichhas a teat portion 20 with a short retaining flange 21 above theenlarged base portion 22 which provides a collapsible shoulder whichfits within the clamping ring 13. The base shoulder has a fiat top wall23 that is engaged by the under side of the flange 14 of the clampingring and a collapsible tubular wall 24 that extends downwardly from thetop wall 23 and that can be collapsed by pressure exerted by theclamping ring 13. The tubular wall 24 is provided with an internalgroove 25 adjacent its lower end and is formed to provide a bottle topengaging portion 26 and an edge portion 27 that fits within the topportion of the bottle. The base closure is formed by a disk 28 havingcircumferentially spaced openings 29 and a valve member 30 which is amolded flexible and elastic cup-shaped member having a flat top wall 31provided with a central opening 32 and a boss 33 surrounding the openingon the under side of the wall 31. The valve member 30 has a collapsibletubular wall 34 that has a flange portion 35 at its lower end that isformed to receive the periphery of the disk 28.

The tubular wall 24 of the collapsible base shoulder is of an internaldiameter greater than the portion of the nipple which extends throughthe opening 15 of the clamping ring and the nipple is formed to providea flat shoulder 36 that engages the top wall 31 of the valve member, sothat when the tubular wall 24 is collapsed as shown in Fig. 7, the boss33 is forced downwardly to a position closely overlying the top of thedisc 28, so that the passage for liquid flowing from the openings 29 ofthe disk to the central opening 32 of the valve member is retricted bythe boss 33. By adjusting the clamping ring 13, the valve member 30 maybe adjusted with respect to the disk 28 to provide the desired flow ofliquid to the nipple. The valve member 30 and the body portion of thenipple maybe molded separately, the disk 28 is detachablysecured in .thevalve member 30 and the valve member and disk are deta-chably secured inthe groove 25 of the collapsible'shoulder Wall 24, so that the disk 28and valve member 30 can be readily separated from the nipple and fromeach otherforcleaning purposes.

In Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, another modified form of nipple isshown, which has a teat portion 37, a retaining flange 38 above anenlarged base portion 39 which provides a shoulder having a flat topwall 40 and collapsible tubular wall 41 that is provided with aninternal groove 42 to receive and retain a flat disk 43. The lower endof the tubular wall 42 is formed to provide a shoulder 44 for engagementwith the top of a bottle and an edgeportion 45 for engagement with theinterior of the bottle opening. The disk 43 is provided wihcircumferentially spaced openings 46 near its margin and the tubularwall 41 has a curved inner face 47 which overlies the openings 46. Thecurved face portion 47 of the collapsible shoulder wall forms part ofthe liquid passage and when the tubular wall 41 is collapsed by pressureas shown in Fig. 9, the inner face portion 47 thereof is forceddownwardly toward the disk 43 and serves to progressively restrict theliquid passage.

It is to be understood that in accordance with the provisions of thepatent statues, variaions and modifications of the specific devicesherein shown and described may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In an infant nursing device, the combination with a bottle having anexternally threaded neck and an internally threaded clamping ring thatscrews on said neck and that has a top flange that overlies the top ofthe bottle and defines a central opening, of a nursing nipple having ahollow flexible apertured teat portion that projects through saidopening and a base portion within said ring that forms a partitionbetween the bottle and said teat portion and that includes a collapsibleannular shoulder that underlies said flange and that is disposed betweensaid flange and said bottle top, means providing a passage for liquidthrough said base portion to said teat portion, and means controlled bycollapse of said shoulder by pressure applied thereto by said clampingring for regulating the flow through said passage.

2. A nursing device as set forth in claim 1 in which the base portion ofthe nipple is hollow and forms a closed air chamber, in which the liquidpassage through the base has a flexible elastic wall within said airchamber, and in which collapse of the nipple shoulder increases the airpressure in said chamber to collapse said flexible wall and restrictsaid passage.

3. A nursing device as set forth in claim 2 in which the passagethrough. the base is in the form of a tube of transversely elongatedcross section.

4. A nursing device as set forth in claim 1 in which the base portion ofthe nipple includes a disk connected at its periphery to the baseshoulder, in which the liquid passage through the base includes anopening in said disk and in which the flow regulating means is a valvemember operably connected to said shoulder and movable toward and awayfrom said disk.

5. A nursing device as set forth in claim 4 in which the disk and thevalve member are detachably connected to the base shoulder.

6. A nursing device as set forth in claim 1 in which the base portion ofthe nipple includes a disk detachably connected at its periphery to thecollapsible shoulder portion of said base, in which the liquid passagethrough the base includes an opening in said disk adjacent its peripheryand in which the collapsible shoulder portion includes an inwardlycollapsible peripheral wall that is moved inwardly over and downwardlytoward said opening to restrict the same when the cap is screweddownwardly.

7. A nursing nipple for use with a bottle having nipple clamping meanscomprising a hollow apertured flexible and elastic teat portion anda'base portion forming a closure for the lower end of the nipple and ashoulder around the lower end of said teat portion, said shoulder havinga top wall integral with said'teat portion and a tubular wall extendingdownwardly from said top wall, said base including a relatively rigiddisk spaced downwardly from said top wall and attached at its peripheryto said tubular wall, said tubular wall being elastic flexible andcollapsible under downwardly applied pressure to permit movement of saidtop wall toward said disk, means forming a passage for liquid throughsaid base portion to said teat portion, and means controlled by collapseof said tubular shoulder wall for progressively restricting said passageas said tubular wall is collapsed by pressure.

9. A nursing nipple as set forth in claim 7 in which 10 the liquidpassage includes an opening in said disk and in which the means forrestricting the liquid passage is a valve member movable with the topwall of the shoulder.

10. A nursing nipple as set forth in claim 7 in which the liquid passageincludes an opening in the disk adjacent its periphery and in which themeans for restricting the liquid passage is a portion of the tubularshoulder wall that is bowed inwardly over said opening.

No references cited.

